


Runaway Train

by ZigguratRolsovitch



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Child Abuse, Dark fic, F/M, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I think you know where this is going, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by Life Is Strange, Loosely based on Life is Strange 2, Non-con is NOT between the main ship, On the Run, Other, Palpatine kidnaps Ben, Physical Abuse, Please carefully read the tags, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?, palpatine is a predator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:08:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29473737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZigguratRolsovitch/pseuds/ZigguratRolsovitch
Summary: It was no secrete that the Palpatine manor was cursed, haunted. The basement office where Rey's grandfather does most of his work seemed to be where the ghosts linger the most. Having lived in fear long enough a young Rey gathers up her bravery to see if she can put these sad spirits to rest, but finds a young boy instead... and learns the truth. That her grandfather is not the frail, pitiful old man that he pretends to be.Hell is empty and all the devils are here.-A series of oneshots.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Runaway Train

**Author's Note:**

> As I always request with a dark fic, please read the tags carefully. If this is going to make you uncomfortable there's a little x at the top of your page. Click it.

It was the night before Christmas, but tonight Rey was allowed to open some of her presents tonight. It was an exciting time. Her grandfather always spoiled her with the most expensive gifts he could afford... if she asked for something it was hers.

"Go on my dear." Palpatine encouraged her to continue opening gifts, leaned back in his rocking chair, moving in tune to the jazzy Christmas music coming from the next room in that silly red sweater of his. Funny how it made him look so harmless when she knew that he could snap in a second.

However as she opened her next box -another of those pretty dresses that made her feel like a doll- a knock came at the door. 

Palpatine gave a smile and stood up, shuffled his way to the door and slowly opened it up. A cold breeze blew in, soft white snow flakes making their way inside. Pure. Innocent. Landing there on the red carpet and soaking into it. White no longer.

"My boy... come in. Come in." Her grandfather hurried to urge their guest inside. At first glance it was a young boy. Older than her no doubt, but at second glance she realized that this boy was only in his pajamas. Bare foot.

How far did he walk like that in the snow?

"Father Snoke... you were right. You were right about everything." His shaking voice came out and the tears flowed next. "Uncle Luke tried to-..."

"Of course I was right." Palpatine sighed, sounding... sympathetic... reached a hand up to touch the boy's face. "Come. Let me get you a drink to warm you up. You must be freezing."

As her grandfather led the boy into the kitchen she glanced up at him and for a moment she caught his eyes. Deep, sad. Heartbroken and hurt. She wondered what had happened to him to make him look that sad.

"Grandpa?"

"Stay here and finish opening the rest of your gifts. Then it's bed time." Her grandfather informed as he disappeared into the kitchen with the boy.

The sound of a cabinet opening resounded though the house. The clank of glasses and then the music in the other room turned up in volume. Almost annoyingly loud. It made Rey huff... she hated when her grandfather played his music so loud.

She was left alone for the longest time... managed to get through all the presents she was allowed to open that night and waited patiently, but her grandfather never returned. 

A crash from the kitchen startled her a little bit. Though it wasn't unusual. Her grandfather told her that old men were clumsy and he often dropped things. She supposed it must be that.

Eventually Rey gathered up her new teddy bear and slowly made her way into the kitchen, but when she arrived there it was quiet and empty. Not a trace of her grandfather besides an empty bottle of wine fallen over onto the side, perched precariously near the edge of the counter.

She eyed the scarlet drop that fell from the bottle to stain the white marble counter top. 

Sometimes her grandfather disappeared. It was just what he did. So she didn't think much about it. He would show up later. Unlike her parents. He always did.

Although if she was late to bed she would be disciplined. The last time she disobeyed her grandfather she had to go days without food. She learned quick not to disobey the man. So she hurried up to bed.

* * *

Sleep did not come easy. Hollowing winds and scratching branches outside the window kept her awake. Ghostly groans and cries from somewhere in the house were not uncommon sounds... some nights there were none. Silence. Other nights they cried and cried throughout the night for days.

It was common knowledge that the Palpatine estate was haunted. The spirits trapped within these walls always sounded so sad... and they seemed to become especially upset whenever new people visited the manor. The ghosts must not like strangers very much.

Rey pulled the blankets up over her head and clutched her teddy all while she hoped that the ghosts didn't decide to come into her room.

* * *

The next morning her grandfather was in the kitchen in his clean, comfortable robes while he cooked breakfast for her. He seemed to be in a very good mood. It was preferable to the bitter moods that he tended to fall into.

"I have breakfast ready for you, Rey." Her grandfather placed the fresh eggs onto her plate. Scrambled. Cooked to perfection. "Your tutor will be here soon. You should wear one of your pretty new dresses."

Her grandfather always wanted her to wear those stupid dresses. It always made her feel like a doll on a shelf. Sometimes she thought that if he could her grandfather would lock her up inside a glass case.

It was easy to picture. Locked away inside of a glass case in a pretty dress while her grandfather admired her like one of his prized animal trophies above the fireplace. As much as she would rather not wear the dress she knew that she had to obey her grandfather. She very much wanted to eat.

"The ghosts were loud last night." Rey informed softly as she seated herself at the counter, eyes on the wine stained into the marble like blood.

"So long as you obey your grandfather the ghosts will leave you be my dear."

The absence of the boy from last night felt almost palpable. Another ghost that would linger inside the manor walls. Screaming silently evermore.

* * *

Life went on. Wake up. Attend classes with her private tutor. Learn silly things like geometry which she was fairly certain that she would never find a need for. An endless rinse and repeat cycle.

She was like the doll in the glass box she came to realize. Here she was locked away in this manor. Aside from her grandfather... the occasional maid that cleaned and her tutor... she was very much alone here. 

Rinse and repeat. 

Until it wasn't. 

Her tutor didn't show up today. It was the first time in a long time that she had been left completely alone in here. She wasn't completely sure what that meant for her... or for the teacher. Her grandfather didn't forgive people very easily when they made mistakes.

Sighing softly to herself Rey continued to wait for someone to show up, but an hour went by and then turned into two. 

A crash from the basement caught her attention. It must be the ghosts again. Now there was nobody here with her. For a moment she feared that maybe the ghosts would hurt her, but then recalled what her grandfather had told her. They wouldn't hurt her as long as she was good.

So perhaps then since they wouldn't hurt her she might be able to finally find out why the ghosts always sounded so sad and if she could find out why then maybe she could finally help them rest. That was how it worked in the movies wasn't it?

Taking in a deep breath she crept over to the basement door. This was her grandfather's work room... nobody was ever allowed down here, but he would never have to know. She wouldn't bother his papers. It would be fine.

The door creaked open ever so slowly and she was hit by the overwhelming smell of cleaner. A smell that took her back to the night her parents died. She remembered the hospital then... and her grandfather being there.

"Junkies" that was what her grandfather had said her parents were. It was what took them away from her.

Reaching out she flipped the switch and heard the hum of the fluorescent lights. She wondered if her parents were ghosts inside the manor walls as well. Holding her breath she took the first step.

It groaned loudly in protest. Made her pause and second think her choice, but there was another sound. A shuffle down below. She realized that this must be where the ghosts hid during the day. When they weren't crying during the night.

Gathering all the bravery she had she continued down the steps the rest of the way... however what she saw was not a ghost. Nothing quite so scary as the monsters she envisioned, but... that boy she saw that night. She never saw any of the guests her grandfather brought into the manor more than once.

At first he didn't move. Just remained sitting there against the metal support beam... perhaps he hadn't noticed her yet. So she stepped off the final step and as she did it felt a little bit like her fate was sealed.

When the boy lifted his head he seemed startled to see her there, but she was able to get a good look at his face. Bruised, swollen and covered in dried, flaking blood. He looked as bad as Mr. Maul after he hadn't completed one of her grandfather's tasks the way that he wanted him to.

On top of how beaten up he looked he was still dressed in those same boxers and white T-shirt from before. Only now both were stained with both dry and fresh blood. It was the middle of winter... in the dark basement and he was dressed like that.

"Aren't you cold?" Rey kept her distance for her safety, but the boy didn't answer. Just dropped his chin down onto his chest. Like it had taken all his strength just to look up at her even if it had only been for a moment or two.

She watched his shoulders heave with a sigh. It was hard to relate to his pain. She knew her grandfather hit those under him, but he'd never hit her before. She had no idea what it felt like... the fact that he had bled so much though must mean he was in terrible pain. A bike accident was the closest she could imagine.

Still instinct was crying at her to take care of him. To do something to ease his pain.

Taking a look around the room she noticed the sink. He must be thirsty. She made her way over, shoved the nearby chair up to it and climbed up to grab a cup and hold it under the sink. 

As she waited for it to fill she notice the massive table saw next to the sink... it struck her as odd. She didn't think her grandfather worked with wood. At least not that she had ever noticed. He'd never made anything. No figurines or handcrafted furniture adorned their home.

She was so lost in thought she hadn't realized that the cup had overflowed until she felt it run down her hand. Hurrying to turn off the sink she climbed down and approached the boy again... less cautiously. He didn't appear to be a threat to her.

"Here." Rey held the water up to his mouth, but he didn't drink, instead made a hollow groan and turned his face away from the cup. It left her huffing as she sat back on her heels. He wanted to be stubborn.

Glancing down she noticed the the tint of red swirling in the once clear water. The blood from his mouth stained the edge of the cup as well she realized. Maybe his mouth hurt too badly to drink. She didn't know.

A door opened and closed upstairs and Rey felt her blood run cold. Her grandfather must have returned home. She couldn't be caught down here. Standing she was about to hurry up the stairs, but a voice stopped her.

"Cup." The boy muttered out his warning. "If you don't want him to know you were here... "  
  
Right. The cup. She had nearly forgotten. She snatched it up in a hurry, hid it away inside a cabinet and spared him one last look before she quietly made her way up the stairs and then closed the door as slowly as she could so it made little as little noise as possible.  
  
Once she was safely up she quickly made her way to sit at the counter and pretend that she had simply been here the entire time. Her heart rate increased as the footsteps came closer, closer until they reached the kitchen... finally stopped behind her. Her heart hammered so hard she was sure her grandfather was going to hear it and know.  
  
"Hello my dear. Did you have a good evening?" Her grandfather's voice betrayed absolutely nothing. That same old smile there upon his face.  
  
"My teacher didn't come." Rey knew she had to answer as honestly as she could.  
  
There was a pause. She could almost feel the anger radiating off her grandfather... a dark aura radiating outwards.  
  
"I see. I'll have a talk with him when I'm finished with my work..." Though her grandfather slowly approached the basement door, opened it up and took the first step down... slowly closing the door behind him as he did.  
  
Rey glanced towards the door. Stared hard at it until she heard her grandfather's music turn on, up on the highest volume it could reach.  
  
 _In the still of the night_  
 _I held you_  
 _Held you tight_  
  
She nervously squeezed her hands together, knowing that her grandfather must be going to hurt that boy again. He was already hurt so badly she didn't really know how someone could take so much abuse and keep going... she worried he might die like her parents.  
  
Beneath the music she thought she heard a cry.  
  
 ** _Promise I'll never_**  
 ** _Let you go_**  
 _In the still of the night_  
  


* * *

The snow had melted and given way to the first thunder storm of the year. The quiet rumblings of thunder were perhaps the only thing that kept her from hearing the cries of the boy locked away in the basement.

All that she could think about was him. How much pain he must be in. Her stomach felt as if it were tangled up in knots. The situation made her feel sick in a way that couldn't quite be described in words.

Needless to say sleep didn't come to her that night. She did her very best to lie still, watched the lightning reflect off the ceiling until she couldn't stand it any longer and threw her blankets aside. 

The rumbling thunder that vibrated off the walls masked her movement as she made her way down the hall, into the bathroom for the med-kit and then on her descent down the stairs into the darkened basement. 

In the darkness she could make the boy's outline out, but... he wasn't moving. Just remained motionless, leaned up against that support beam just as she had found him. She was more cautious as she approached him this time... and not for fear of her safety this time, but for fear of his.

The idea that he was dead scared her. Brought to mind flashes of her parents faces frozen in terror in her last hazy memory of them. 

She shook the idea off and placed the med-kit on the ground next to him, but the scrape of metal against the cement had him jerking awake from whatever darkness that he had been lost in. 

"It's just me." She didn't quite know if that would make a difference or not, but when he lifted his head to look at her she was startled by his appearance.

His face was worse than the last time. His eye was so swollen that he appeared to only be able to see out of a slit... and maybe not even that. What little of his eye was visible was red... no white left within.

It was something that she at least knew that she had the cure to. Reaching for the med-kit she opened it up and reached for the cold pack. Her grandfather always had these on hand when she was hurt... but for some reason it wasn't cold.

She tried shaking it like her grandfather did, but that didn't seem to be making it any colder... 

"You need to give it a punch..." He spoke up, voice hoarse. It was maybe the first thing he really said to her. Aside from his warning before. She did as he said though and felt a snap within the pack that slowly spread out too cool the rest of it. "Now you can give it a good shake."

Rey lifted the ice pack for him hesitantly. There was a moment when she thought that he might turn away as he had with her last attempts at kindness... instead he leaned into it as best as he could manage.

At least he was letting her help this time. Even if it was only so much as tilting his head just the slightest bit.

"Did the old man force you here too?"

"You mean my grandfather?" She supposed that he must mean her grandfather. There wasn't really anyone else here, but her comment made him scowl slightly... and then the movement of his face made him grimace and close his eyes again.

"What do you want from me?" His tone came out sounding so miserable. His body slumped even lower. As if defeated.

"I just want to be your friend." Rey felt that he must be lonely down here. Even if her grandfather was mad at him that didn't mean he shouldn't have a friend. He seemed as if he really needed one right about now. 

His less injured eye slowly opened and he squinted at her. "Do you have pills in there?"

"A lot. Which kind do you want?" It made her smile slightly to know that he was finally accepting her help.

"All of them." 

She frowned almost as fast as the smile had come, because as much as she wanted to make him feel better she couldn't give him all of it. Her grandfather might miss one package gone, but he would definitly notice if all of it was gone. 

It felt like she was letting him down.

"But... my grandfather would know if that many were missing..." 

The boy groaned again. Dropped his head back against the support beam. It seemed he wasn't very happy that she couldn't give him as many as he wanted. "It would stop the pain for good."

"I'm sorry." She wished she could. She really did. But if her grandfather found out the jig -as they said- was up. "If grandfather finds out I can't help you anymore."

"If you gave me all of them you wouldn't need to..." It went right over her childish head. The implication something that someone her age would never have thought of. "Comeon, kid... help me out here."

Instead she focused on getting him another cup of water so that he could have one of the pills that would ease some of his pain. Her grandfather took them all the time when his back began to ache.

"Here..." She offered them up and for a moment thought that he might deny her help again, but perhaps to placate her he did take the pill and drink the water down with it... and judging by the way he drank the water down she suspected he must not have had anything to drink in some time.

Her mind trailed back to her past. If he hadn't had anything to drink had he not eaten as well? She knew how painful it was to starve. Top think he might be starving on top of the pain from the beatings he'd endured only made her feel worse.

"Hey, kid... he doesn't... your grandfather doesn't touch you anywhere weird does he?" It seemed there was a sort of concern in his tone. For what she didn't understand.

"I'm not allowed to hug grandfather. He says affection is for the weak." She watched the way his mouth twisted up on one side as he thought about what she said. "And it's not 'kid'. It's Rey."

"Rey." He tested the name, but was otherwise silent.

"You're supposed to say your name." 

"I'm supposed to?"

"It's manners." Rey wondered if that was why her grandfather was so angry with him. He didn't seem to have any manners at all. If there was one thing her grandfather hated... it was when someone had no manners.

"Ben." His expression showed pure irritation as he muttered out his name. He didn't really seem to appreciate her comment. She pulled the pack away from his face to try to see if his face looked any better.

The swelling seemed to have gone down just a bit, but his eye was watering in a way that made it appear as if he was crying blood. It made her wince because it made her think back to the pet she'd had once upon a time.

"Is it going to fall out?" She shifted a little bit nervously. "I had a kitten once, but he made grandfather fall down the stairs so he kicked him... and then his eye fell out."

"It doesn't matter anymore..." As he lowered his head again she realized her mistake. It must have upset him to hear that something like that could happen to him.

She thought back to the softer memories of her parents comforting her. They used to gently stroke their fingers through her hair when she'd had a nightmare and she reached up to do the same for him... and although he didn't look up she did notice some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

While she stayed with him for as long as she could she knew that she couldn't stay forever. it was time to go. Pick up everything. Hide the evidence and make sure that her grandfather never found out that she was helping him... she feared what would happen if he ever realized what she was up to.

* * *

Rey visited Ben as often as she possibly could. Tried her very best to ease his suffering, but she also found that it was nice to have the companionship. It had been so lonely here since her parents had died. She hadn't realized that she was missing talking to someone until Ben... even if circumstances were bad ones.

"I've never had a friend before." She admitted quietly. "Grandfather says he's the only friend I need."

"He told me the same thing." Ben had opened up a little more every time that she came to help him. Something she didn't really expect from him considering how quiet he had been before. "Rey... would you help me? If you're really my friend? All you have to do is untie me."

"I can't. My grandfather will take away my food if I let you go... and he would catch you anyway." She didn't think that there was any escape from her grandfather.

Ben sighed heavily and lowered his head. It felt bad to disappoint him, but her grandfather would punish them both if he tried to get away. She just knew it... he would take her food away and beat Ben even worse.

In the new silence she dipped the cloth and then leaned up to wipe away some more blood from his face and down his next when she noted the mark on his shoulder. Bruised teeth marks. She wondered why in the world her grandfather would have bit him like an animal.

When she reached that mark Ben looked off to the side and squirmed away from her. 

"Don't..."

Rey wanted to make him feel better, but his tone told her that she should probably leave it alone and not upset him further. Instead she set about trying to clean the dried blood from his hair.

A dull creak behind her made her freeze. Made Ben freeze up too. 

"Rey..." Her grandfather's voice called to her eerily calm. Each footstep came closer, but she didn't dare move until her grandfather was right beside her. "Did you think I wouldn't know?"

"Grandfather..." 

"You have so many toys, but this..." Her grandfather reached his hand out, dug his fingers into Ben's hair and jerked his head back hard against the support beam. "This one is grandfather's toy..."

"But..." She wanted to argue. She wanted to say a person wasn't a toy, but she was so afraid to speak back to her grandfather.

"Ah, ah... my dear." Her grandfather hushed her and reached a hand out to draw a table full of tools closers towards himself. "It's alright... I understand. He's a pretty boy isn't he? Do you want to play with grandfather's toy? I'll let you."

"I don't-" Before she could even protest her grandfather was forcing a sharp blade into her hand, curling his fist around hers and jerking her forward towards him and Ben. "No! I don't want to!"

Her grandfather's hand tighten in Ben's hair, pulled his head back more firmly, prevented him from struggling while he forced her hand with the blade into Ben's thigh. It made her sick the moment the blade cut into his pale skin, spilling blood forth.

As hard as she tried it didn't matter. Her grandfather's grip was too strong. He was able to force her to hurt Ben. Wasn't giving her any choice in the matter.

Ben did his best to hold in the sound of his pain, but her grandfather jerked her hand forward again, up to his face and forced her to drag that blade down his face. She fought just hard enough to avoid cutting his eye out, but her grandfather quickly re-secured his grip and continued to drag the blade down his face... down his neck all the way into his shoulder just below the collar bone.

She struggled so hard that when her grandfather finally released her hand she actually fell backwards onto the ground with the force of her struggling.

"There... look at the masterpiece you've made..." 

"Stop it! She's just a kid!" Ben still defended her... even despite what she'd done to him. It only made her grandfather angry. Angry enough that he hauled off and hit Ben in the side of the head. Right where he'd been cut.

She didn't know what had possessed her, but she grabbed onto her grandfather's leg. Desperately beat at him with fists... but again he was too big and strong. It made little different. His reaction was simply to turn and backhand her across the face.

Her ears were ringing from the hit, a bruise already forming on her cheek. Despite her injury her grandfather didn't bother to check on her. Just slowly began to stand up, made his way over to his workstation, turned on that music of his to silence the sounds... and the saw on the table. 

"I've enjoyed my time with you, but all good things must come to an end." Her grandfather slowly began to pull an apron on.

Rey looked between Ben and her grandfather. He must have been really distracted because he'd left the blade. Close enough that all she had to do was kick it closer with her foot and as she did Ben got ahold of it...

As the ropes snapped and she knew that she had just set in motion someone's death... it happened so fast, but at the same time it felt like it happened in slow motion... Ben crashing into her grandfather and them both of them going forward into the sawblade.

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to see it. Couldn't see it, but... she could hear it. Could hear the struggling and the sound of the saw grinding while it most definitely cut through someone... a scream of sheer agony. From whom she didn't know.

The next thing she knew was that she was being lifted up... even still she didn't have the courage to open her eyes. Each motion up the steps made her more and more nervous... whoever held her fumbled with the door.

It creaked open slowly and Rey gripped onto the shirt of whoever held her. It was soaked with blood. Though her eyes weren't open she knew the copper smell of it.

As the steps moved from the kitchen into the front room the door to the outside was opened and only then did she slowly peak an eye open to see who it was that had her.

"Ben?" He didn't answer at first, stepped out onto the pavement and kept moving down the blackened road. "Where are we going...?"

"Away from here." His answer was quiet, he almost tripped, stumbled a bit. It reminded her that he was still hurting.

"Are you going to tell someone grandfather hit you?" She took this chance to look around. She hadn't been allowed out of the house since she first arrived there after her parents had died... nothing looked like she remembered.

"Nobody would believe me... everyone always thinks the worst. They would just... think I killed him..." He quickened his pace, hurried down the driveway to get past the tall, black security gate...

and once he was out he didn't look back.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: As the tags say this story was loosely inspired by Life is Strange 2. Which despite bad reviews was very beautiful. I highly recommend it if you're a gamer. The title is taken from the song Runaway Train by Soul Asylum which takes place as the theme song of this story. I ask for people to be patient with updates. I am living out of an RV. No family. No home. Rare internet access, but I am doing my best.
> 
> People always ask for ages. So Ben is sixteen and if there is a ten year age gap between them then that would make Rey six.
> 
> Finally I feel that I need to address this after the harassment like I got on my last darkfic. If you at all think that this story is somehow supporting child abuse then you have a very serious issue with your literacy and need to go back to school. This story is about the aftermath and the healing. As was the other. I will delete any and all harassing comments.


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